Health Canada food guide reform not science-based: MP

The federal health department has taken an activist approach to its method of reforming the Canada Food Guide, Conservative agriculture critic John Barlow said Wednesday — a tactic the Alberta MP says risks doing serious harm to this country’s agriculture industry.

“It is very clear…that Health Canada is going in a direction that is detrimental to our agriculture sector, detrimental to our food processors as well as our producers on the ground,” Barlow told the committee.

“I truly believe that the direction that we’re going on the Canada Food Guide is based on some sort of activism, some sort of ideology and not based on science.”

Members of the House agriculture committee voted 5-4 Wednesday in favour of adjourning debate on a Conservative motion that called for members to study the Food Guide. The move essentially blocks the Conservative demand unless the matter is raised again at a later date.

Liberal MP Francis Drouin told iPolitics after the vote that his party is open to discussing the study proposal at a later date. He said agriculture groups will have “their voices heard.”

Barlow told iPolitics he plans to revisit his motion “every chance he gets.”

In October 2016, Health Canada officials told iPolitics the department would not be seeking direct input from Canada’s food industry in its revamp of Canada’s beleaguered food guide. Instead, farm groups and other industry players were invited to participate in the departments online consultation process.

Canadian farm groups have become increasingly frustrated with the direction Health Canada is taking on the food guide, with industry saying the proposal — which calls for a shift towards “a high proportion of plant-based foods” — is not science-based and would only confuse consumers more.

“Over the past year, what little we have received from Health Canada has been no more than mixed signals,” the Dairy Processors Association of Canada said in a letter to Barlow Feb. 7, obtained by iPolitics.

“On the one hand, we have been told that the science hasn’t changed. This would usually be interpreted that dairy still maintains a place in the dietary guidance as dietary science still supports the consumption of dairy as part of a balanced diet,” the letter reads.

“On the other hand, the consultation documents last summer seemed to promote plant-based diets and diminished the role of animal proteins.”

Barlow told MPs Wednesday his office has been inundated with letters from a cross section of agriculture groups who say they’re nervous about the approach Health Canada is taking on the file.

“I want to really stress this point. These letters are not only from the livestock industry or the dairy industry, there’s letters in here from grain growers, the horticulture associations — none of them want us as a government, in this food guide document, to be picking winners and losers.” he said.

“They all want to be successful.”

Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay was asked about the agriculture industry’s concerns around the food guide during an appearance before the Senate agriculture and forestry committee Thursday morning.

MacAulay told senators the file is “under the minister of health” but said he “did have input on what took place.”

“Without a question, what I want to see is Canadians make sure that they express their view on what’s presented and that’s why things are gazetted,” he told the committee. “My opinion — really, it’s Canadians opinion that really reflects what takes place on this and anything else that’s gazetted to make sure that is what they do want to have happen.”

Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor and Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam are expected to unveil the government’s healthy eating strategy Friday during a media event in Ottawa. Regulatory changes will be published in the Canada Gazette for public review.

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9 comments on “Health Canada food guide reform not science-based: MP”

As an Registered Dietitian, I feel we need a food guide that is based on the best scientific evidence for health promotion/disease prevention and that is easy for the consumer to understand and use. In Canada, we have a large agricultural sector that produces many plant based foods ie different grains, legumes, beans, vegetables and fruits- in addition to animal based foods-meat, poultry, etc and dairy products. The food guide is a nutrition education and diet planning tool, and should not be politicized.

FINALLY science takes precedence. Couldn’t be more proud of the folks at Health Canada for standing up to the violent, environmentally damaging, and unhealthy animal ag industry. The process is so politicised in the US – it’s great knowing that Canada hasn’t been completely overrun with industry captured agencies!

Basically all I’m seeing from this article is a bunch of meat and dairy farmers whining and doing that red neck thing meat eaters do when they say “HOW DARE YOU SAY MEAT N CHEESE AINT GOOD FUH YOU”. All they care about is money and keeping people swayed to buying their cancerous crap. Shameful behaviour.

This is the first time in history when Health Canada will only look at the science behind healthy eating and not allow animal food industries to set the guidelines, because those are not science based (even though the industry manufactures studies to show that animal foods are not detrimental to health) … they ar profit based.

HA! I applaud Health Canada for its revision of the Canada Food Guide AND not being swayed by lobbying by the Beef Industry, Diary Industry, among others. Science DOES show that consuming meat products (and by-products) leads to health issues such as heart disease, obesity, cancer, etc. Just read the Journal articles about this, Mr. MP Barlow. Eating a plant-based diet is cheaper, better for you (think FIBER) as well as better for the Planet (i.e. factory farming horror shows, salmonella outbreaks, bird flu, as well as just plainly cruel practices and the myth of Humane Meat!). Get with the program and do YOUR research before making statements like this.

Well we are certainly going to need cheaper with the cost of everything going up. I believe this is the UN food guide as most of what is done in Canada these days is directed by the UN — how we spend our money, what projects we support, how many immigrants we take in, what are laws should be, etc. etc. Food guide is another example.